Thanks Tony! Yes it is small! A bit smaller than a 1/35 Willys Jeep. I’d like to get one or two more of the other Tamiya kits if I can find them.
I eventually want to do a 1/35,many recommend the Academy kit,ahh so many kits so little time!!!
1 Like
Great job on the build. I’m super impressed with the camo paint scheme.
Tony, the Academy kits are nice, but I think that the two Tamiya kits are better. What Academy has in their favor is that they cover more variants of the HMMWV family in 1/35. In either case, you’ll do perfectly fine.
CB, thank you. Those AK Real Colors airbrush superbly and you can get in a nice tight pattern freehand like I did here.
Fighting with my airbrushes again. This has been the story for me in 2025. First build of the year, I saw no issues. Then my second build, everything went down hill. It didn’t seem to matter how well I cleaned them or how well I thinned the paint, they just would not spray consistently. I sent most of them (all various Iwata makes) in for servicing, but it wasn’t long before I was facing similar issues.
I did finally finish that second build. The third was mostly trouble-free, although there were a couple of easily fixed issues along the way.
My current build started off just fine. A couple of days ago, the CS I was using stopped spraying. I switched to to my Hi Line BH, and initially had no problems. I cleaned it as usual - first running Tamiya airbrush cleaner through it, then disassembling it to wipe everything down with lacquer thinner, use dental picks on the interior shaft and the tip, then finally running an absorbent paper point through the tip opening. Yet today it would not even spray thinner, no paint at all, just thinner.
I was able to finish my paint session with my Revolution CR, but that one didn’t perform perfectly either.
I am using AK Interactive 3G acrylics thinned to a milky consistency with AK Interactive acrylic thinner.
What pressure is your setting for airbrushing? Usually if things aren’t working properly I will add pressure and/or thinner. I can’t say anything about an Iwata airbrush as I’ve never used one.
I haven’t tried airbrushing any AK 3G acrylics yet, but it’s coming soon.
It is currently set at 35psi, if I am reading the gauge right.
Thats definitely higher psi than I usually airbrush with. I don’t think that should have any problem pulling paint out. Id look at hour thinning ratio at this point and perhaps thin your paint down more. I know that AK also makes a flow improver medium for the 3G acrylics that might be useful.
Working on the burned out T-72…primer coat down. Now on to lots of rust and ash. Gotta build something up for the gun to insert into since the only option is the vinyl canvas cover which is long gone in the reference photo.
3 Likes
Spent today and the last few days on the flight deck of my what if fantasy future aircraft carrier. I think I’m pretty much done with painting and decaling the flight deck. Though I’m sure there will probably be something I forgot. It’ll probably hit me when I least expect it.
9 Likes
I spent 2 hours today helping one of my sister’s friend’s kid diagnose an airbrush problem. It was the usual thing - bubbles in the paint cup, but no paint out the nozzle.
I wished I took a “before” photo! There was so much dried acrylic paint in the cup that I thought “okay, easy enough, time for a deep clean.” Famous last words.
He had a Master double action with a fixed gravity cup. I have never seen a Master AB before, and it was a LOT more complicated compared to my Badger and Iwata. So many nooks and crannies to clean! Plus the strip down procedure meant a lot of delicate parts lying around.
So after 2 hours and multiple failed tests, we were about to give up. I looked over the airbrush one last time and realized that the only thing I did not clean was the nozzle guard. A quick swab of lacquer thinner, and the airbrush sprang to life!
I feel pretty good now. I kept thinking “Hallo. My name is Stephen He, and today I am going to give you pro tips on how to manage your failure.” There would have been much “emotional damage” if I had failed to get that AB running again.
I also unloaded a Monogram B-17G on the boy, complete with still intact vintage 1975 box, Shep Paine diorama sheet, fresh decals, and some resin tires and an Eduard canopy mask set.
It was a good day today.
4 Likes
Still slugging away on my Churchill AVRE diorama “stuff”:
Most of the plastic and resin is done, next I’ll begin to working more on the destroyed bridge and water, then the trees…
10 Likes
Aggieman, is it possible that the paint you’re using is the issue? Maybe it’s clotting due to age, or impure thinner, or some other physical or chemical reaction going on?
That is certainly possible. Although most of the paint that I am attempting to use is not terribly old, not brand new but also not 10 years old or anything like that. Probably in the 2-3 years old range.
On another thread, I was advised to use Mission Models. I happen to have some of those - the paints are probably closer to 5 years sitting in my paint drawer, but I did get their branded thinner more recently. I just tried to use one for my current project - the paint was rather thick coming out of the bottle. Then I added the thinner. The paint immediately clumped into thick blobs. I tried to smooth it with vigorous stirring, but that had not effect. Needless to say, I did not put that paint into my airbrush.
The cart looks great. Ive never been able to simulate wood grain with a realistic appearance. you’ve definitely nailed it.
Impressive weapons too.
Before heading out on a well deserved vaca with the family, I was able to do a wash using Winsor Newtons burnt umber and then started on a panel wash using MiGs interior wash.. Its on the order of a dirty faded olive drab.
I’ll finish up the underside once we are back.
Happy Modeling,
Mike
8 Likes
The flight deck looks amazing!!! Well Done!! 
Thanks. Though I gotta tell you, it’s not perfect. I did make quite a few mistakes.
That’s usually the case,we know whats not exactly right to our standards,but no one else does.It looks good from here.
1 Like